Roasts, in general, are impressive looking, which is why we choose to have hams, prime ribs and turkey roasts as centerpieces at a Christmas dinner.

However, none look as impressive as a crown roast of pork! For this reason, many shy away from cooking this visually stunning dish.

Here’s a little secret: A crown roast of pork is just lots of pork rib chops that are tied up by a butcher. The butcher should also give you those cute paper ‘hats’ that go over the exposed rib bones.

In other words, the butcher does most of the work! Get down to your local butcher, and then wow your friends and family this Christmas with our recipe!

Preparation time:  1 hour

Cooking time: 2 to 2 1/2 hours (plus 1/2 hour standing time)

Total time: 3 1/2 to 4 hours

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 crown roast of pork, Frenched and prepped by a butcher (about 8 to 9 pounds or, depending on how meaty the ribs are, about 14 to 22 ribs)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh sage for roasting
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 4 cups of stale bread (at least a day old)
• 1/2 pound of Italian sausage meat
• 1/2 cup of onion
• 1/2 cup of celery
• 2 cups of tart Granny Smith apples
• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Snip the thyme and sage, using a pair of herb scissors, directly into a bowl and combine.

We recommend using the Chef Remi Herb Scissors which is perfect for all your fresh herb snipping, mincing and chopping. With 5, razor sharp, stainless steel blades, it is much faster and more efficient than using a knife or single blade shears.

Plus the thermoplastic rubber handles, with moisture resistant finish, will give you the perfect grip, even with wet hands or slippery fingers.

2. In another bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the snipped thyme and sage. Rub this mixture onto all the side of the pork ribs. Wrap the roast in foil and allow it to sit for an hour at room temperature.
3. Cube the stale bread into 3/4 inch cubes using a bread knife.

We recommend our multi-purpose Chef Remi Bread Knife, which is made from food-grade stainless steel, and can easily slice through even the toughest, crustiest bread.

Yet the ultra-thin serrated knife edge can also slice through delicate pastries, or slippery skinned foods, like tomatoes, without causing any damage. 

4. Measure out your butter using Chef Remi Measuring Spoons, which have perfectly circular spoon heads to allow you to get into small jars, containers and pots – much easier than using elongated dinner spoons.

Also, the rim and handle are level on each spoon, so liquids don’t drip out and you get the most precise measurement. You can also level off dry ingredients with a knife blade.

5. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over a medium heat, and then add the cubed bread. Stir well so the cubed bread pieces are coated in melted butter. Allow them to toast so they are slightly browned on all sides. Take off heat and set aside.
6. Heat a large 4 to 6 quart pan on medium high heat. Break up the Italian sausage into small (inch sized) chunks using kitchen shears, and then add to the pan. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the bottom of the pan.

We recommend using our Chef Remi Award Winning Kitchen Shears which can make meat chopping tasks so much easier, especially as you can cut directly into a pan or skillet.

As the sharpest kitchen shears on the planet they'll slice through meat and sausage like a knife through hot butter.

They also have a built in bottle opener, which is perfect for opening tough sealed sauce bottles, or even cracking nuts for your recipes!

7. Allow the sausage chunks to brown on one side (do not stir). Now flip the sausage chunks over, using a kitchen spatula, and allow the other side to brown. Once done, pick out the sausage chunks, place on a dish and set aside.

We recommend you use the Chef Remi 2 Piece Kitchen Spatula Set as they are made from food-safe nylon, so they will never scratch nonstick, Teflon or coated pans, even when you are scraping up food.

8. Mince the onion using the coarse grate of a box grater.

We recommend you use the Chef Remi Box Grater as it’s the ultimate, multi-tasking food prep device. 4 different plates give you the versatility to grate, chop, slice and grind all types of food.

Use the coarse grate for grating semi-hard cheese or shredding vegetables, and the fine grate for grating hard cheeseormincing vegetables.

Use the zesting plate for grinding spices, herbs, garlic and ginger, as well as zesting citrus fruits, and the mandolin plate is perfect for creating very thin slices of vegetables, such as potato, which is almost impossible to achieve with a knife.

Razor-sharp stainless steel teeth cut through food like a knife through butter, whilst also resisting rust, corrosion and dulling for a lifetime of use.

9. Use a sharp chef’s knife and wooden cutting board to chop the celery and apples.

We recommend using the Chef Remi Chef’s Knife as the blade is made from razor sharp stainless steel, which can easily cut through slippery celery.

We recommend the Chef Remi Cutting Board as it naturally kills surface bacteria, so you can slice and chop away, without worrying about germs or food poisoning. 

10. Use Chef Remi Herb Scissors to easily snip the parsley. Now, preheat your oven to 350°F.
11. You should still have some butter left in your large pan but, if not, add some more butter. Heat the butter on a medium to high heat. Now, add the grated onions and chopped celery. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally using a kitchen spoon. 

We recommend using the Chef Remi 3 Piece Kitchen Spoon Set.

As these spoons are made from food-safe nylon, they will never scratch your precious nonstick, Teflon, ceramic enamel or coated pans, unlike metal spoons.

They also won’t absorb odors, unlike wooden spoons, and they won’t deteriorate, unlike silicone spoons.

12. Add the chopped apples and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Then, add the sausage chunks and cubed bread you set aside earlier into the pan.
13. Add the snipped parsley, the remaining 1 tablespoon of snipped thyme and sage, and mix together gently. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then remove from heat. Your stuffing is ready.

14. Place the crown roast into a shallow roasting pan and then loosely fill the center of the crown with your stuffing. Make sure you do not pack the stuffing in. Use strips of aluminum foil to cover the tips of the ribs. This will stop the bones burning and getting scorched.

15. Measure out one cup of water and add to the roasting pan.

We recommend using Chef Remi Measuring Cups. Our cups have non-drip, lipped spouts, so you can measure and pour liquid ingredients without causing a mess.

They also have angled handles with thumb rests, which are designed to give you grip and comfort when you pour. They’re very lightweight and portable, unlike heavy Pyrex or glass cups, so anyone can use them without accidents.

16. If you have leftover stuffing, butter a separate oven proof pan and add the stuffing. Add 1/2 cup of water and cover with aluminum foil. Set aside.

17. Roast the crown of pork on the middle rack of oven for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours in total.

18. Be aware, cooking times can vary depending on the number of ribs, size of roast etc.

Therefore, to ensure the roast has cooked through, insert a meat thermometer deep into the center of the pork and make sure it registers to 150°F (do not touch the bones).

We recommend you use the Chef Remi Cooking Thermometer as it has been designed to give you instant accurate temperature readings.

It has a long probe, so you can get right into the middle of your roast where it is the furthest away from the heat source.

And it has a ‘freeze' temperature button, which allows you to 'freeze' the temperature while the probe is in the food. This is because, as soon as you remove the probe, the temperature it registers will drop as it reacts with the cool air.

Without this freeze function, you may assume your crown roast is cooler than it actually is, and you end up cooking for far too long and ruining it!

19. Transfer the roast to a platter and let it stand for 30 minutes. If you had some leftover stuffing, place this into the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover the foil and then bake for another 10 minutes until the stuffing is golden in color.

20. Add the paper ‘hats’ to the rib bones. To carve the pork, use a fork to steady the roast, and then use a carving knife to cut down through each of the ribs and detach the pork chops.

We recommend you use the Chef Remi Carving Knife. It’s lighter, thinner and more flexible than a standard chef’s knife, so you can carve thinner slices as well as debone meat easily.

It also has a narrower spine than a chef’s knife, to give you uniform, precise meat slices, and a curved tip, which allows you to expertly shape corners.

Prepare to wow your loved ones – Merry Christmas!